Faith Lost in Blood
by Dracopest
Summary: Thought a failed experiment, Izuku is sold and made to suffer for the amusement of scum. Now free from his captors, Izuku means to see them all suffer in turn. This world was cruel but he would let nothing stop him. Call it vengeance, call it justice, so long as the ghosts that haunted him could rest in peace.
1. Chapter 1

Faith Lost in Blood

 **A/N: Alrighty so fair warning to those of you that came to this from To Repel and Attract. This is far from the friendly and heartwarming story that is. This story will earn its M rating. So I fully understand if this isn't your cup of tea.**

 **This story will also be my back burner story. Something to write to give my muse something else to focus on for a bit so I can go back to Repel and Attract with fresh eyes. So don't expect this to update as frequently.**

 **Lastly this story will be drawing heavily from two different sources. Two different video games to be precise. Those would be Prototype and Evolve. Primarily Evolve with Prototype only bringing a few abilities to the story.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own My Hero Academia**

Chapter 1: Hunter

The cheering of spectators flooded his ears. The thumping of stomping feet pounded from the ceiling above. Sounded like it was a full house tonight. He'd have to put on a good performance. If the betting was good then he might get a decent meal for once. He tilted his head listening; and there it was, Hyde's obnoxious, guttural voice.

"YEEEESSS! THA'S WHAT I WANT TO HEAR! THE LOT OF YA KNOW WHAT'S ABOUT TO GO DOWN!" The screaming and cheering intensified twice over. Honestly waiting in this damn cage, having to listen to that psychopath and the howls of those beasts above him. It was enough to make his blood boil. He'd hold onto that rage. He'd need it soon.

"Alrigh, ya bunch of animals. We got a great show tonight. For those of you that are joinin us for the first time, I'll tell ya how this works. The ring you're looking down at, will soon feature two monsters fighting to da death. Two vicious demons who would like nothing more than to rip all of us up here into tiny pieces. Lucky for us the walls and ceiling are reinforced. On top of that, both are rigged with some of me favorite explosives so if either gets a little too rowdy; BOOM and its game over!" In his prison, he snorted. This collar wouldn't kill him, oh it would hurt. But it wouldn't kill him. He just knew it would be stupid to try and escape. The Arm would put him down before he could even get out of the pit.

"Now considerin that this is our las night here, we're pulling out all da stops. So for our challenger, we have a face that's been slicing and dicing the competition for our entire time here. With wicked claws made of bone, standin at five feet, five inches tall, and weighing in at three hundred and seventy three pounds, welcome the horrid little meat processer, RAZOR!" Bestial screams rent the air and he could hear whatever he would be facing thrashing around. Seriously though, Razor? And he thought he'd drawn the short straw. Nope Hyde was just a freaking idiot.

The cage started to raise as the elevator lifted its way to the arena above. It was showtime. Maybe he could make some of the audience go deaf again. That had been funny.

"And now for our champion. Standin at eleven god damn feet tall and weighing in at just over fuckin four thousand pounds, you know him, you love him, you _hate_ him! Give it up for GOOOLLIAATH!" The bars dropped and Goliath burst from cage. Massive, was a good descriptor. An enormous humanoid saurian form, with a thick hide, covered in barbs and spikes. He knew he truly looked like a monster. In the arena that worked to his advantage. Time to make it good.

" **RAAAAAAAAAWWWWW!"** The walls shook as his roar reverberated throughout the pit. The crowds screamed in response. Whether in cheer or terror was up for interpretation. Though personally Goliath was hoping for the latter. Hyde unfortunately wasn't cowed.

"HAHAHA listen to that righ nasty beast there! God but you gotta love the sheer power in that one don't ya! Looks like even Razor was shook up by that." Goliath looked for the foe he would be facing.

When his burning green eyes locked on his opponent, he was frankly underwhelmed. The creature in front of him might have been human. It wouldn't be the first time that some psychopath was shoved in here with him. But this one was bizarre. It was slim and short. If he had to guess it was female. Grey matter shown from the top of its head like some odd hat. Long pink hair ringed around the disturbing visage bulging from the top of its cranium, hiding its facial features. What looked like a strait jacket garbed much of its form, falling down to its knees. Bone broke through the skin wherever shown, forming a jagged armor of sorts. From the overly large sleeves, bone spiked digits gleamed. It was edging around him looking warily at his massive form and doing its best to stay out of arm's reach.

 _"Well this is a pleasant surprise. If I'm gonna bleed, there are far more painful methods than getting cut up. I'll probably be healed up by tomorrow morning."_ His opponent had other plans.

Overcoming its fear of him the creature let loose a shriek and charged. Hyde was loving this.

"Looks like Razor is gonna start us off tonight! She's proven herself a right mince maker for the past week but will Goliath prove too much to dice?" Goliath would have rolled his eyes but it was time to smash this pest.

Razor was exceptionally fast. She didn't charge at him, so much as she charged the wall behind him. Bouncing off and flying back between his legs, she left bloody gashes on the inside of his calves.

Roaring in pain and anger Goliath struck at Razor. The smaller beast dodged and latched onto his arm. Clawing her way up, she leapt for his face. But Goliath was not risking his eyes.

A massive hand smacked Razor right out of the air; sending her sprawling into the dirt. Goliath roared in challenge, this little upstart would end up much deeper in the dirt by the end of the night. He'd make sure of that.

"Oooh bad show there Razor. Goliath might look like a big dumb brute but he's been in da pit for nearly four years now. He's a right clever bastard."

Razor had no intentions of staying down though. Crouched on all fours she hissed before letting loose a wailing shriek. The little fiend sped towards Goliath once more. Goliath leapt forwards to match and met the smaller beast head on.

As he brought his fists to slam down on the spot where Razor was located, she threw herself just underneath and to the other side of him. Recovering quickly, Razor ran her way onto Goliath's back, jumping from his tail to the expanse of armored flesh that was the champion's shoulders. Slashing wildly Razor did her best to try and hack her foe to bits.

"A bold move by Razor, but stupid. Goliath's armor is thick as a tank. Cutting through that will take her a while. Long enough for Goliath to smash her flat!"

Goliath's thick hide **was** tough and the blows Razor was striking were only scratching the surface. But she was beginning to dig through, slowly hacking through inch by inch. Goliath roared before leaping high and turning so as to crush Razor beneath his weight.

Upon impact the dust flew everywhere. The crowd all leaned forward trying to get a better look at the action below. The dust didn't settle so much as it was flung outwards with accompanied by the battle cries of the two monsters. Razor had managed to dig her claws on the underside of one of Goliath's biceps. Goliath in turn was trying to loosen the bone fiend from his arm, slamming her into the ground. But it only served to sink her spiked digits further in.

"OHOHOHO would you look at that! Razor's dug in like a tick. Tenacious little blighter isn't she? Gotta wonder how Goliath is gonna deal with her. Me? I'd just melt her fuckin face off."

Roaring in pain and frustration, Goliath took a deep breath before flexing his unburdened arm. As he flexed the armored hide around his knuckles grew thicker and jagged. With this brutal mitt made, Goliath slammed his fist into the smaller creature. Razor was sent flying and crashed once more into the dirt.

Razor was finally shaken, a number of her claws broken in the altercation. Breathing raggedly and stumbling, she lifted her head at the thudding footfalls of her opponent. Goliath made his way slowly towards the tricky little bitch.

"OH SHIT! Dat was brutal! HAHAHA just what you'd expect from a savage animal like Goliath!"

Upon seeing Goliath closing in, Razor began looking for places to retreat. But the arena was unforgiving. There was nowhere to run, nowhere to hide. Realizing this, Razor screamed in panic and madness. Backed into a corner she began to frenzy, a black ooze leaking from her wounds and leaving new flesh behind. Bursting forth at high speed she raced for the throat of Goliath.

It looked as though Goliath would be too slow. Razor was a blur, zooming in on her intended target. Coming just to Goliath's feet she leapt up, intent on tearing out the larger monster's throat. Screeching at her perceived win, Razor was inches from blood drenching victory.

 **CRRUUNCH!**

Everything stood still for a moment. Razor was now in Goliath's jaws. He had waited, biding his time and striking at the last moment. The crowd was deathly silent, stunned at the turn of events. Even Razor was in a state of shock, though in her case that term was more literal. The sound of breaking bone had rung throughout the pit. But at the moment Goliath's jaw moved once more, reality settled back in.

"SCREEEEEEEEEE!" Razor let loose a panicked cry as she flailed helplessly trying to free herself.

 **CRACK!**

More bones broke and Razor's flailing became more desperate and less accurate. Her claws seeking some place to strike and release her. One lucky swipe saw blood drawn, as three small slashes crossed the softer flesh around Goliath's eye. He'd had enough.

 **SNAP!**

Razor fell limp, never to rise again. The jaws of death had quite literally caught and broken her.

Spitting out the dangling form, Goliath held his fallen prey high for the audience to see.

"RAAAAAAAAAAAWWWWWRRRR!"

"YEEEEEEEES! Just like that ladies and gents we have a winner! Goliath is still undefeated! Razor put up a decent fight but she just couldn't compete with the Titan of the Arena!" The whole crowd was going nuts at this point. Cheers of those to leave in victory and wails from the losers.

Goliath didn't care, this was a decent fight. Hopefully the betting had been good. Hyde always felt more generous if he had a fat wallet. It would be nice to feel some of the itch of hunger lessen.

Looking down to the fallen critter that had cut him up, Goliath turned it over to get a better look. Holding Razor now, she felt so light. Though honestly that was probably because he was so big. Still it was so odd to have something so small put up such a fight. Where had this thing come from?

It looked like it was human. The skin was a little odd, now that he got a closer look. A dark greyish blue made up the skin tone of the fallen beast. Something caught his eye however. One of the sleeves had been torn and he could see a bit of exposed forearm. Manipulating the tear he got a better look at a tattoo. It was hard to see, hidden behind the odd dark skin tone. But as he peered harder it became clearer.

His breath quickened, palms feeling slick as sweat began to rise in fear. The tattoo, it couldn't be. But it was, it was hers. He knew it too well, tracing it between the bars of that cell so long ago.

A phoenix rising from ashes, its beak grinning.

Goliath shook as his eyes lead up to the face hidden beneath the fringe of pink hair. Hair now so familiar. A large clawed digit reached with extreme care to move the fringe. He prayed to whatever god would listen that this wasn't her. That it was someone else. That this was just someone or something that had the same mark.

It wasn't. There she was. Older, gaunter, but still recognizable. Goliath sank to his knees in despair.

 _"No… no.. no, nonono! SERRA!"_

"Rrarararaaaaaaaaaa!" The wail that loosed from Goliath's jaws was one that not even Hyde had heard in the past. Sorrow, rage, despair. To see a beast like that cry was so utterly alien that a number of people left the arena. Disturbed by the very sight.

Goliath looked down at the limp form. He brought her close to his face, rubbing his cheek against her. Hoping that maybe just maybe that he hadn't killed her.

 _"Please, please don't be dead. I'm sorry, I'm sorry Serra! Please be alive. I didn't mean to hurt you. I didn't know. I never would have hurt you."_ Tears pooled down dripping to the floor.

"But you did, didn't you?" Goliath's eyes snapped open.

Where once there had been exposed grey matter, his gaze now a full set of pink hair tied in pig tails fell. The dark blue skin tone was now that of an average, if not a little pale young woman. Gone were the bone protrusions breaking from the skin. It was Serra, whole once more.

"Maybe you didn't mean to but you did. I'm dead now."

 _"No, no I swear I would never hurt you! I wouldn't have made it without you!"_ Serra's eyes closed and she smiled at him.

"It doesn't really matter now does it? I'm dead because of you. You killed me. I thought we said we were brother and sister. But what kind of little brother kills their sister! Why would you kill me Izuku?" Gone was the arena, gone were the audiences, gone was Goliath. Now in his place stood Izuku Midoriya reaching out for the taller girl in front of him. Tears pouring down his face.

Serra leapt away from the verdant haired boy. Her voice took a sharp edge and she all but hissed at him.

"Don't touch me with your filthy hands! I don't want blood all over me." Confused Izuku looked down to his palms. Only to see them stained crimson.

"Aah!" Izuku tried to wipe his hands on the dirt but found no dirt. The arena ground was gone and in its place was a dark red floor.

Still he tried to wipe his hands clean. Rubbing them futilely against the floor. Drawing them back, they weren't just stained now. They were positively dripping blood to the ground. A steady plop filled the air as the life essence fell.

"See Izuku. You're a monster, you'll never be able to clean that blood off your hands. And it's not just my blood. How many others died to sate your savagery? Shall we count them?"

Izuku almost lost his footing for a moment as he began to sink. The ground beneath him turning viscous. All around him faces and limbs began to rise. He recognized them all. Beasts, madmen, and the occasional unfortunate souls that had all been thrown into the pit with him. Just like him they had been given a choice, fight or die.

These were not whole forms though, these were the aftermaths. The remains of his victories and their defeats. Limbs missing, faces shredded, some even twisted into ghastly shapes. Serra was nowhere to be seen, in her place Razor stood once more. Still that voice that had sung him to sleep, what seemed so long ago, now spat from the fiend's lips.

"Few of us had a choice in facing you. Yet that garnered us no mercy did it? We were all prey to you. All cut down for your amusement." Izuku was struggling. The ground was becoming more and more unsolid as he began to try and keep his head above the crimson floor. The smell of it all hit him and he began to panic, blood. All around him. But the words that filtered into his ears cut deep, spewed as they were by the voice of someone that had sung him to sleep with those same lips.

"NO! No that's not true! I only fought to survive! I would have never hurt any of you willingly! When I didn't fight they would hurt us both until we did. I didn't want to die." Razor sneered at him her broken digits stabbing the air.

"Well congratulations, you survived. Now you can sleep soundly can't you? But no; you can't, because we won't let you. Why should you get to rest soundly while none of us can even rest in the afterlife? You want to believe you're innocent, that you had no choice. But you're so soaked in blood, you're drowning in it, Izuku."

Izuku was having to tread now to keep his head above the crimson substance. His clothes thoroughly soaked red, his hair had started to take on the sanguine color at their tips. He cried into the void, looking up to Razor and the many victims of Goliath. All stood on the surface, not a ripple to be seen.

"What can I do? What do I do? Tell me how I can help you!" Razor's sneer relented and she stared pityingly at him for a moment before parting her pink fringe with one of her claws. Green gazed straight into green, one pair dead to all but rage and the other desperate for salvation. Her spare hand reached down to cup his chin.

"Don't let them get away with this. Make them suffer! Call it justice if you want but do not let these crimes go unanswered! Until then you will suffer." The hand beneath his chin moved to his cheek caressing it softly. Then in a swift motion it moved to his head and plunged him beneath the red pool.

Flailing he tried to surface once more, but it was gone. He swam kicking towards what he could only hope to be the surface. His legs tired and sore and his chest was already burning. He couldn't make it, involuntarily he gasped and the blood poured into his lungs.

" _no … no… I'm sorry.."_

Xxx

Waking in a cold sweat, the phantom taste of blood in his mouth, Izuku burst from his bed to head to the bathroom. His hand clasped against his mouth as the bile was already filling his cheeks. Entering his bathroom he made it to the toilet and retched. The tightening of his guts and the vivid nightmare brought tears to his eyes.

"*cough* I'm so sorry Serra." He sniffled a bit but only served to make his situation worse. Groaning he leant back towards the porcelain ring. A voice caught him off guard.

"Izuku, baby are you alright?" Inko stood at the doorway looking down at her son. The years of searching for her missing son had not been kind. She was too thin, her face gaunt, with crow's eyes, and grey hairs spread throughout the green.

One more thing he was responsible for.

"I'm fine mom. I promise. But could I maybe have some tea? I just need something to help settle my stomach." She searched his face for moment before giving a small tired smile.

"Of course. But if you're still not feeling well tomorrow I want you to call out of your lessons alright?" Izuku nodded in response and his mother made her way downstairs towards the kitchen.

Honestly the tea was an excuse. Sure he'd sip at it but Izuku knew his mother craved some way to help him. She felt like she had failed him somehow. Like those seven years of hell were her fault. He never blamed her though. How could he? She was the only one that kept searching. When everyone else wrote him off. When his father arranged for a funeral. When the heroes all told her that she should accept the reality of it. Inko had kept looking. Digging through every video, every crime report, every sighting of green haired children. She was the only true hero he had ever known.

Standing up and wiping his mouth, Izuku made his way over to the sink to rinse out the crud. Looking in the mirror he spied the three small lines that scarred across his left eye. His mother had never asked why he had them. In all honesty he shouldn't have any scars. Any damage done to Goliath would not have transferred to him. But Izuku had refused to let them go. He had forced those injuries from Goliath to himself. He would never forget that night. He would never forget Serra.

Brushing his teeth he pondered on the chain of events that had brought him here.

Xxx

Snatched up at five, Izuku had been a guinea pig for a bunch of sickos. His memories of that time were hazy and he refused to dwell on them. The only thing that came close to being pleasant about those months had been Serra. And that was just another reason not to dwell on that year and a half. Constant invasive procedures, pain that broke him time and time again, and no relief was given. No mercy was to be found.

They had been trying to create a monster. Something that could retrieve quirks and bring them back to the man in the suit known only as Master. The doctor that worked on him the most, whom Serra had dubbed Quack, had only ever called his superior that, Master. Adaptive, resilient, and able to recover from immense amounts of damage these were the traits they hoped to instill in Izuku. In the year and a half he had been there Izuku was never made aware of why he had been chosen.

After all that time Izuku had not developed the attributes they had been looking for. His suffering and their painful work, had been for naught. The Quack had thought to terminate him, but the Master had stopped him. Master had made arrangements for Izuku to be gifted to an organization that the man had fostered relations with. Looking back on it, Izuku wondered if the man knew what would happen.

A woman named Val had taken him from that awful place. For a moment he had wondered if this was what an angel looked like. She was undeniably beautiful with her red hair, blue eyes, and full lips. She had looked like a movie star from tv. Izuku had learned an important lesson that day. Beauty was often skin deep.

Val had taken him out of hell and thrown him into Lotus. And Hyde had been there waiting with open arms and that maniacal grin stretched from ear to ear. Lead to a line of other children, Izuku had thought that Hyde was funny at first. Joking about the monsters they would get to play with and the punishment they would face if they disobeyed. Honestly, melting someone's face off? The way he had said it even made some of the children laugh. That was a mistake. As was proven a moment later when Hyde made good on his word and there was one less child standing in line.

There truly were nothing but monsters in Lotus. No humans called this place home. Everything and everyone fell into one of two categories. Predator or prey. They had traveled all over the world. Bringing the show to the underworlds on almost every continent. Each location owned by The Arm featured a large office building located in an urban center. Beneath the building would always be an enormous bunker. It was the bunker that Lotus and its residents called home. The arena brought in people from every sleaze hole imaginable. The fights serving as a no man's land that allowed for individuals to meet on neutral ground for business.

The Arm was a criminal organization that ran Lotus amongst a number of other ventures. Val, Hyde, and Jack were all well-established high ranking members. Izuku had rarely seen Val after their initial meeting; and in all his years with Lotus had only heard the names of other members.

The children had a number of duties. Cleaning the arena, the cages, and the beasts. Serving the patrons drinks and meals, or worse. Those that proved intelligent and loyal to the Arm might be allowed to complete tasks outside. Those that proved trouble makers were used as baiters.

In this world of shady deals and madmen, Izuku found himself doing all he could to stay out of trouble. Quiet and polite to a fault, Izuku had managed to become a favorite of Jack and Hyde. Jack had been a weapon's designer for The Arm. He seemed rather young to be doing the work he was and so long as you didn't upset him, he was far more stable than Hyde. The smarter children learned quickly that if you wanted to last in Lotus, that Jack was who you wanted to work for. Unless you pissed him off, then you were better off with Hyde. Hyde might kill you and hell it would be brutal as fuck, but Jack would draw it out. Over days, if not longer. Jack liked living targets for his weapon demonstrations.

Izuku's luck ran out after six months on his first task outside of Lotus. A mix up occurred with the package he was to deliver. The outcome of said mix up ended with the rather bloody demise of several clients, and a big mess inside Lotus itself. Izuku had his suspicions as to how that had come about but couldn't confirm anything. After the following night it would become impossible for Izuku to do anything that involved much outside of his cage.

He had been thrown into the pit as a baiter. Jack had shot him in the leg and he had hobbled as fast as he could. Trying desperately to make it to the small exit allowed to the baiters. But the large beast behind him with its spiked tail and catlike form had caught him. Batting him around, bloodying him for pleasure; Izuku was sure he was going to die.

His salvation had come as the suffering he had endured as a lab rat paid off. The blood falling from his wounds had coalesced into spikes that had sprung in every direction to pierce the beast's body and brain. Receding back to his shaking form, the blood had shaped itself to his body. A dense, chitinous, black and carmine armor left behind as it settled. His hands now armed with barbed, clawed, gauntlets. The onlookers, including Jack and Hyde, had been stunned.

That had marked the day that would define the rest of his time with Lotus. No longer was he prey. That day Izuku became the predator. He would be forced to participate in battle after battle. His abilities tending to end in rather brutal victories, quickly made him into a fan favorite and that had been before his first chrysalis.

Two years into his time in the pit Izuku had grown so much armor on himself that it was beginning to become difficult to maneuver. Then the hunger had settled in, gnawing deep into his gut. He had consumed all that been provided to him and left still starving. Then after his next fight he had gone mad. A large bipedal reptilian animal met its doom, beaten to a bloody pulp. The chitinous armor had then dissolved into a black ooze and absorbed the downed beast whole. Adding the creature's mass to its own, the ooze had enveloped Izuku. Falling into its embrace, the boy slept soundly for the first time in weeks. Left in his place on the arena floor was a large black egg.

One week later and Goliath was born to the world. The creature was rage incarnate. Nothing could get close without being torn apart and devoured. For near a month the creature was inconsolable. Every fight a massacre, growing larger after each consumed prey, and every day filled with its roars. Jack and Hyde had to intervene a number of times to put the creature in its place.

After that month Izuku had awoken to see the world with new eyes. At first panic had seeped into his veins. He could not fathom what had happened. Trapped as he was inside this alien form. The memories trickling into his head from the past month were quickly cut off as his brutal actions filled him with disgust. With a little practice the boy found that he and the monster could separate. The odd sensation of slipping through pulpy flesh, dark tendrils snapping off his body, was disconcerting to say the least.

Merging back had been just as disturbing, but Izuku found he was more comfortable hidden behind the thick hide and slabs of muscle. The power that Goliath held was addictive and Izuku fought with all he had. It was wonderful to have some semblance of control back in his life.

A year without change filled Izuku with some semblance of pride in his continued victories, even as the guilt of his actions weighed on his soul. A great many discoveries were made during that time in regards to the various abilities he held. Everything the Quack had been hoping to accomplish had come to pass and more.

The quirk wasn't just adaptive, it was positively rampant in its need to evolve. Any damage sustained left Izuku that much more resilient to that particular type of injury in the future. On top of this Izuku and Goliath both recovered from any wounds at a prodigious rate.

Izuku's most delightful find had been made when he had decided to sleep outside of Goliath. He had been awoken the following morning by an enormous snout nudging his head. Scrambling like a madman Izuku had slammed into the wall hard enough to dent the concrete. Separated from Goliath for long enough the shell would take on a life of its own. Fiercely protective of Izuku, the shell acted like a faithful hound.

The last discovery had not been a pleasant one. The true purpose for which Izuku had been afflicted with this power, had been to bring new quirks to the Master. Izuku had never quite understood how that would work. Not until the first time he had breathed fire as Goliath. It had shocked him afterwards and it took some serious consideration to recollect exactly where that had come from. A large canine beast had been consumed by Goliath during the month Izuku had slept. The same flames had spewed from its maw. Any thoughts about having any quirk he wished were quickly abandoned. The full consumption of anything in that manner was just too grisly for him to consider. On top of that only Goliath could use the ability. Jack had taken great delight in laughing at him when he caught Izuku huffing and puffing at a wall.

Rage and ruin, Goliath was king of the arena. If this was to be his life then so be it. He'd do his best to make peace with it. Then Razor had come and Izuku was left a wreck.

Goliath would continue to reign in the arena. But no longer was there any pride in his actions. Once there was flair in his fights, now all combat in the arena was clinical to an extreme. Similar creatures to the fiend that Razor had been appeared intermittently, grey matter exposed to the world. With every one, Izuku had tried to reason with them. To make them see he didn't want to fight them. But it always proved futile. The beings were too strong to take lightly and Izuku was unable to hold back for long.

Two years of displeasing the spectators later, a miracle occurred. A bust, in which the Lotus den Izuku was located in, saw the whole place brought down by an extraordinarily lucky hero agency. Jack and Hyde both escaped but many of the criminals there that night were put behind bars.

The children had all been rounded up and were set to be returned to their families or placed within foster homes. Izuku meanwhile had been something of a quandary for the heroes. Izuku was one thing but Goliath was terrifying. To let something like that just walk through the city was bound to cause a ruckus.

Izuku was completely unwilling to leave without his faithful shell. Going so far as to merge with Goliath and obstinately stay in his cage. The heroes had been at a loss of what to do. Izuku had thought the lot of them idiots. But eventually they caved and Izuku and Goliath had been ushered into the sun for the first time.

Heroes, what a joke. The first few years of his captivity, Izuku knew, just knew that a hero would come to save him. Every day he'd known that All Might would come to save him. Throughout all the torturous experiments, and all his time with the Master and the Quack, Izuku had held out hope. Then Lotus had worn him down. Izuku had spent so much time dealing with the dregs of society, seeing the depths of human cruelty, and being subjected to horrors that no one, much less a child should endure. Seeing corrupt officials, law enforcement, and even heroes walk Lotus' den had been the nail in the coffin. Any faith in the goodness of mankind had been completely eroded.

That had been the first thing that Izuku had revealed upon his questioning. Sitting in Goliath's lap, the twelve year old had been vindictively amused at the heroes horror struck expressions when he had gone over the details of his captivity. At least they had the decency to look ashamed at the mention of corruption amongst the hero ranks.

Perhaps most shocking had been the revelation of the two heads of Lotus. Jack Arthur Lennox and Henry Edward Hyde were both established and popular sidekicks of big name agencies. Hyde had actually been a part of the international branch of Japan's number two hero, Endeavor. To think that people so well respected could be criminals in disguise filled the whole team questioning Izuku with dread. The only thing Izuku had left out was his time before Lotus, allowing the team to make their own assumptions.

After the initial interviews had been completed Izuku and Goliath had been shipped back to Japan. He had been interested to learn that his current location had actually been Italy. The trip was uneventful and only Izuku's anxious thoughts gave him any concern. He had no idea what would be awaiting him there.

His fears were not completely unfounded. When he arrived it had been disheartening, but unsurprising, to learn that he had been declared dead years ago. What had stunned him was his mother waiting for him at the docks. She had changed, her appearance looking worse for wear. But it was still her, rushing up manically to sweep him into her arms, tears pouring down her face as she smothered him. Momentarily stunned for a moment, Izuku broke down and squeezed his mother close. The feeling of being held, almost forgotten, completely overwhelmed him.

Goliath had unfortunately come up behind them and scared the poor woman so bad that Izuku had to keep her from falling into the water. The big shell had seemed curious about everything on their way to Japan and was very docile. Unless it felt as though Izuku was in danger, the lumbering oaf was merely inquisitive about the world around it.

They had barely made it from the docks into the city before they were stopped by an unexpected source. Endeavor stood before them, arms crossed, and asked a moment of their time. The wording may have been a request but the tone made it clear the man was not going to accept a no. The way he eyed Goliath was making Izuku uncomfortable. But this man was one of the most powerful heroes in the world. Turning him down would probably not be in Izuku's best interests.

Endeavor had taken the lot of them to his home. Goliath rode behind in a large dump truck, peeking his head from beneath a tarp to gaze curiously at the city passing by. There he had gone over his imposed silence of the team that had caught Lotus. Despite the Midoriyas' outrage, Endeavor covered his reasoning thoroughly. Citing a party in the government that would love nothing more than to emplace to new policies and regulations in order to restrict the movements of heroes further. The panic and distrust that might spread amongst the populace if the knowledge of rogue heroes was released would only serve to help villains like those in Lotus stay free. What was left unsaid were the repercussions that Endeavor and his agency might face if word of one of his sidekicks going rogue managed to leak to the press.

A contract had been placed before the Midoriyas. If Izuku signed it, he would face heavy penalties for telling anyone about Hyde or his involvement with Lotus. Izuku had been all set to have Goliath torch the thing, until Endeavor pointed out the compensations he was prepared to make. Inko had driven everyone in her life away with her hunt for Izuku and had managed to rack up some serious debt in her pursuit. Endeavor had pointed out that with his resources he could see all of that vanish.

Pointing to a house nearby to his own estate the man made it clear that they would want for nothing. Izuku hadn't thought hard about the offer, having his mother's situation laid out like that had made it clear for him. It was hush money plain and simple but his time in Lotus had taught him to take any advantage he could get.

Finally Endeavor had added a deal breaker. Goliath would have to go. He had arranged for him to be contained in a nearby facility where he could be studied to better help Izuku control his quirk. But keeping Goliath with him would be a clear violation of the law. Quirks were not to be displayed in public and there was no hiding Goliath.

Izuku had not taken this ultimatum well. His feelings towards any sort of lab work were …strong to say the least. No he wouldn't let Goliath be prodded and dissected. With sorrow in his eyes and working on instinct he walked up to his faithful shield and only friend for the past five years. Placing his hand on the beast's chest, Goliath sensed what was coming and crooned sadly, lowering its great head. Izuku reached for the essence of Goliath and pulled, tendrils of black and red ooze veined their way up his hand and into his arm. He felt that core, the blueprints of what made Goliath, enter back into himself.

Then, with head bowed to its creator, Goliath fell to dust.

Endeavor had looked exasperated with the whole thing. Izuku was pretty sure if the man had been anyone else he would have rolled his eyes. But with that problem solved Izuku had signed the contract and plans were made.

Xxx

Now a year later Izuku stared into the mirror and sighed.

 _"Gods, but I am really messed up."_

Rinsing his mouth once more for good measure Izuku went to the window overlooking their backyard. This past year had been a doozy. Izuku wasn't a lost cause academically. He was quite intelligent and was desperate to catch up to peers his own age. Occasionally Endeavor would call over Izuku and his mother to hear a progress report on their goings on.

 _"As if he's checking in on some show animal."_

At one point the man had asked what Izuku planned to do with his life. To which Izuku had not even pretended to deliberate. The nightmares would not leave him and the crimes that Lotus and The Arm committed still haunted him. He would hunt them and put all of them down. Left unsaid was that when he was finished with them, Izuku meant to find the Quack and his Master. What they'd done to him was monstrous but for Serra, Izuku would stain his hands once more.

Endeavor had been anticipating such a response. He informed Izuku that his agency had taken over that case. That hunting them down on his own would make Izuku a vigilante and interfering with an investigation being conducted by a recognized hero agency would see Izuku behind bars. With that nasty smug grin, Endeavor informed Izuku that in order to hunt down his past captors he would have to become a hero and join his agency.

Izuku realized he'd been played. But there wasn't much he could do. Endeavor held all the cards. So he would just have to play along.

At least he had company in the misery that was Endeavor's machinations. Shoto was a quiet boy but that suited Izuku just fine. His own social skills weren't exactly stellar. But the two were on good terms and often spent time helping each other improve their skills.

Fuyumi was exceptionally kind to him, always asking if he needed anything when he came over. She had formed some strange obsession with his hair and would often run her hands through his curls.

Izuku chuckled thinking about the older girl's antics. This past year had been a dream come true. There were times Izuku was worried he'd wake up and be right back in his cage.

Staring at the backyard however, Izuku was reminded of the nightmares that plagued him. He was still a ways off from being able to accomplish his goals, but he had begun his efforts in order to reach that point. And not just in his studies.

Under the soil in the yard below, five chrysalis lay growing. Drawing in nutrients from the soil, vegetation, and sun above. This method would take far more time than what he had accomplished with his original Goliath in the pit. He had been planting various flowers and vegetables on top of them. They didn't last long but they provided proper nutrients to the beasts within so that they might grow to enormous size.

Imbued with forms and quirks gained during the month of free reign Goliath had so long ago. Izuku could not wait to see what they would be like when they hatched.

Someday they would help him wreak vengeance on all who had wronged him. All who had seen him forced into staining himself crimson. Flexing his arm, Izuku watched the chitinous armor and claws overtake his flesh.

 _"The Quack, The Master, Val, Hyde, Jack, and all the rest of The Arm. I'm coming for you. Soon I won't be the only one to drown in his sins."_

 **A/N: So there you have it. I wanted to do something darker than what I'm doing with Repel and Attract. There will be a number of flashbacks in this fic to give more depth and context to the suffering that Izuku faced. But this is the first chapter and I wanted you to have some idea of what you're dealing with.**

 **It's not quite villain Deku but it could have easily gone down that route. Also no one on here is an OC. They're all either characters from My Hero Academia or Evolve.**

 **Just to reiterate, I have not abandoned nor am I placing Repel and Attract on hold. So don't worry about it.**

 **Hope y'all enjoyed the chapter and I'll see you next time.**


	2. Chapter 2

Faith Lost in Blood

 **Disclaimer: I do not own the rights to My Hero Academia or Evolve.**

 **A/N: Heyo! Yeah, I know it's been a long time. After a recent review on this story, I went back and read the previous chapter, did some editing and decided I wanted to update this one. Oh and I changed the name of the traveling criminal cell that Izuku had been held in. Before I had named it Tartarus but I've since changed it to Lotus. Didn't want any confusion with the MHA super prison.**

Chapter 2: Family Trials

Xxx

Shoto Todoroki leant to the side, dodging the fist of his sparring partner. Izuku's wrist was caught and he found himself pulled in by Shoto. But it had been a feint. Rather than being pulled off balance and thrown, Izuku allowed himself to be pulled closer before twisting and bringing his knee into Shoto's gut. Despite the pain and the air leaving his lungs, Shoto did not release his grip. Instead he stepped in close and returned the favor with an elbow to Izuku's bread basket. Izuku grit his teeth, and with their close proximity, slammed his forehead into Shoto's. The blow was enough to allow the boys to separate. Breathing heavily as they looked across from each other, they began settling back into their forms when Endeavor stopped them.

"That's enough. You're both slacking off. Two hours is all the two of you can go before getting sloppy? Izuku, you aren't in that arena anymore, dammit. Stop fighting like a fucking savage. If you'd tried that with any villain worth their salt they'd have gutted you without a second thought. Shoto, you're even worse. You have no excuse, absolutely none. Keep your form, and keep them at arm's length. If you let them get in close then you're done. You don't have a damn regenerative quirk. If you're stupid enough to let someone that close then there are any number of messy ends waiting for you. I've trained you – no I've trained both of you better than this! And I won't allow anything but perfection to come out of this home!" His voice had risen steadily throughout his tirade.

Neither boy said a word, their eyes glowering up at the man. Endeavor returned the favor and waited for their response. When neither boy had anything to say his temper began to fray.

"Nothing to say for yourselves? Fine. Get on your feet. Or don't. You've got five days until your exams. And coming from my house with this level of performance is unacceptable." Towering over the two boys, Endeavor's approach was nothing less than that of some great predator cornering its prey.

If the last two hours had been exhausting then the next one was excruciating. It was for the best that the room was designed to ensure nothing from inside would leak out to passersby or the rest of the domicile.

Xxx

Supporting each other the best they could, the two boys limped towards the showers in the large estate belonging to the Todoroki family. Izuku was banged up more than Shoto, the consequence of throwing himself so violently at Endeavor. But he'd recover, he always did. It's why Endeavor was as rough with him as he was. Shoto wasn't really any less worse for wear honestly. Their recovery times would end up being roughly the same.

As they neared the showers the two ran into Natsuo as they came around the corner. The young man's initial reaction had been one of joy at spotting the two boys. But when his eyes caught on to their injuries his expression changed to one of fury. Rushing to their side, he tried to help Shoto but the younger boy was having none of it.

"I've got him." Izuku nudged his friend in the rib.

"Be nice Shoto, he's just trying to help." Shoto grumbled but acquiesced, allowing Natsuo to take some of Izuku's weight. Natsuo was still livid.

"So the bastard is just using you for punching bags now?" Shoto kept his silence but Izuku spoke up, blood in his teeth.

"Nope, just fell down some stairs." Natsuo looked torn between spitting nails and being exasperated with the boy's nonchalance.

"How can you joke about this? Izuku this is child abuse. It's wrong." Izuku rolled his eyes but kept grinning.

"I've had worse and I'm literally asking for it." Natsuo calmed but his frown was now directed at Izuku rather than for him.

"Why? I know… I know that you two haven't had normal childhoods." Izuku outright snorted, cringing as he aggravated his broken nose, and even Shoto had to raise an eyebrow at his brother. Natsuo glared at the two in good humor.

"Okay so they've both been FUBAR. But neither of you deserve this. You have to know that. So why do you want this?" Both boys' faces soured at that. Natsuo heaved a sigh, recognizing the losing battle for what it was. Having reached the baths and Izuku able to stand on his own, he decided to drop the subject.

"Look I just … I hate this. I hate seeing you two so banged up. I hate that everyone is always walking on egg shells here. Every time I see him, I wish he'd just disappear. But he's everywhere, he's got branch agencies on just about every continent out there. Even if I took you two and ran, he'd just hunt us down." Fists clenched and eyes shut in rage and frustration, Natsuo was unprepared for the pat on his shoulder.

Looking up he spotted Izuku, his hand on Natsuo's arm. Izuku's face was placating, though perhaps not as comforting as he meant. Shoto looked on from the side, his eyes as sharp as ever but a warmth was present in them.

"We appreciate that but honestly Natsuo, we'll be fine. Soon you'll be free and we'll be in U.A. Our goals mean that we need that bastard for now. But it won't be like this forever." Natsuo drew both boys into a hug that both grudgingly accepted. Though the look Shoto directed his way made it clear he blamed Izuku for this.

Xxx

Later after a long soak, the two boys were making their way to the kitchen. Shoto hadn't spoken a word since their talk with Natsuo. Izuku wasn't much of a talker either but what few attempts he made at conversation were ignored. Normally he'd be alright with it. Everyone was entitled to their own privacy. He was rather fond of their companionable silence for the most part. But he could tell something was bothering Shoto.

"Shoto, what's wrong? And don't say 'nothing', I know your silences." Shoto's eyes flashed ever so briefly to his friend before facing forwards just as quickly.

"I have been thinking about what our goals entail." The boys stopped in the hallway and Izuku allowed the Shoto to mull over his thoughts before pressing him further.

"And? What's bothering you?" Shoto looked to the ground. Bringing a hand up to his face he touched the scar that brought so much heartbreak into his life.

"Are we really doing what we're doing because we want to, or because our strings are being pulled by someone else?" Izuku felt his own scars with reverence, but anger filled him in an instant.

"No. We are not puppets. Not anymore. Are our options limited? Yes. Does your father do everything in his power to keep us down a narrow path? Yes. But we don't have to make it easy for him. I **refuse** to be the monster they tried to make me into and you definitely don't have to be the one your father is trying to make you into." Shoto looked to his friend and his eyes cleared of doubt. The barest ghost of a smile crossed his face.

"I suppose you're right. We've already made changes haven't we? Before you came, I could count the number of conversations Natsuo and I had on my fingers. I probably would have some left over." Shoto agreed with his friend, and continued on to the kitchen.

Xxx

The two boys had a quiet dinner by themselves before going their separate ways to head to bed. Leaving the Todoroki home, Izuku made his way to the small house nearby located on the property. As he made it to the house, he looked at his reflection on a window and grimaced at some of his bruises. Taking in a breath he focused on those areas most visible.

 _'I hardly feel them but that doesn't mean that mom won't make a fuss about it. Or worse.'_

Inko Midoriya had dedicated her entire life to finding her son when he had been taken. Nothing had stopped her from searching. Not finances, social obligations, her husband, or even her own health. As a result the woman had become somewhat manic. It took her several months before she was willing to allow Izuku to be separated from her for more than a few minutes. She had come to accept that he wasn't going anywhere, but it took quite some time for her to reconcile the son she lost with the one that had come home.

Izuku hadn't been against his mother trying to baby him. Far from it, it was the first time in years that he had been shown genuine affection. But as time had gone on he started noticing things weren't alright. His mother had spent herself so thoroughly during her search for him that the woman was almost coming apart at the seams.

Trouble getting to or staying asleep, a lack of appetite, often asking the same question repeatedly without being able to remember the answer, and a constant anxiousness. It had been a serious point of contention between himself and Endeavor. Endeavor, with the experience of his wife's own troubles, had wanted to have her placed in the same institution as Rei. Izuku had made it clear that if he tried it then he might as well consider their previous contract null and void. That he'd go to every media source that would listen to him and spill everything he knew about Hyde and his connection to Endeavor and damn the consequences.

Endeavor had been furious and the two had come to blows. Which the massive pro hero had won quite handily. But it had been enough to calm him and allow him to think about the situation more rationally. Since then, Inko was a repeat bargaining chip whenever Izuku and Endeavor could not see eye to eye on a subject. Izuku knew that even if he went public that it wouldn't help his mother after Endeavor had her placed there. She did have problems serious enough to see her actually committed to that place and sullying Endeavor's name would only be a form of mutually assured destruction. It wouldn't help Inko. Who often needed help getting through the day, which was actually how Izuku had become close with the older Todorokis.

Natsuo and especially Fuyumi would come over every day and check on Inko and Izuku. Helping to keep their fridge and pantry stocked, making sure there wasn't anything that needed to be replaced, and sometimes just keeping Inko company. Fuyumi would often come over with food prepared for the two of them. It had made Izuku especially grateful to the two of them and helped to see him push for their relationship with Shoto. Not an easy feat to be sure and Endeavor had hit a brick wall as to why Shoto couldn't have a relationship with them. To top it off he couldn't bully Izuku into dropping the issue.

Izuku wasn't afraid of personal injury or verbal abuse. Endeavor was sure the child wasn't even afraid of death. In fact when the two would clash, Izuku would call every bluff that involved a death threat. If Izuku didn't know any better he'd swear Endeavor had actually been concerned the first time Izuku had responded like that. Izuku had pointed out that there was nothing Endeavor could do to him that he hadn't already experienced.

Shaking his head, Izuku saw his visible bruises had vanished. Opening the door, he heard voices coming from the living room. As he drew closer he recognized his mother and Fuyumi. When he walked in the two looked up from their conversation over tea and smiled at him. His mother was quick to put hers down and rush over to engulf him in a hug. When she squeezed him he did his best not to cringe but the small frown that played over Fuyumi's face made it clear she'd noticed, even if Inko hadn't. Returning his mother's hug, he subtly waved off Fuyumi sending her a pleading look. He let his hug strengthen a little as he easily picked her up and spun her around, smiling as she giggled at his antics. She was so light. He'd already been taller than her when he'd come back.

"How are you doing Mom? Was your day alright?" Squeezing him just once more, Inko pulled away and looked him up and down.

"My day was excellent. Fuyumi has been keeping me company and we've been having a wonderful time." Turning his head up to Fuyumi he gave her a smile.

"Thank you for that. I really appreciate it Fuyumi." The young woman gave a short nod, doing her best to move past what she'd seen a moment ago.

"It's alright, I didn't have any plans and I'm always happy to come over and help out Auntie Inko. We just had dinner a little while ago but we made some for you as well if you'd like." Giving out a small laugh Izuku shook his head.

"Sorry, I already had something with Shoto earlier. If I'd known I would've waited or brought him with me."

Inko smiled sincerely at her son.

"It's fine sweetie. I'm just glad you were able to spend time with Shoto. It makes me happy that you boys are such good friends. Though I wish that you weren't working towards something so dangerous." Her lips pursed, Inko shuddered.

Spotting another incoming argument, Izuku glanced to Fuyumi for support. The elder girl wasn't in the mood to be supporting it seemed, much to Izuku's chagrin. This was an old argument the two had. Since they had been taken in by Endeavor, Inko had tried on a number of occasions to sway Izuku from this path. Nothing in the contract expressly stated that he had to be a hero. Izuku was lacking in years of education but he was a quick study. His mother continuously pushed for him to go into some other line of work. Every time Izuku showed even the slightest of interests in a subject or hobby, his mother was quick to pounce on that avenue. It was their only real point of contention.

"Mom, come on. We've talked about this. We owe Endeavor for taking such good care of us and I want to help people with my abilities. I don't want anyone to suffer like I did." Placing his hands on his mother's shoulders, Izuku tried to convey his feelings.

Inko wasn't swayed though. Her concerns still written all over her face. She let her hand rise to the small scars that ran across the skin over Izuku's left eye. Her frown deepened.

"I don't think I could survive if you disappeared again. I worry about you all the time knowing what you're doing. I just wish-"

"Mom. Stop. Your making yourself upset. I'm spending a lot of time learning from Endeavor. The number two hero in the country! I'll be ready. But this is something that I need to do." The sour look on Inko's face leaked into one of pure exhaustion.

"I know you won't change your mind. Just … please keep your mother's heart in mind." Falling into his chest, Izuku wrapped his arms around his mother and kissed the top of her head.

"I'll always come home. I promise." When he pulled back his mother was sniffling. Patting his cheek she backed away to wipe her face.

"Alright, alright baby. I'm _*sniff*_ going to bed. You walk Fuyumi home and then you should go to bed too." With a watery smile the elder Midoriya left for bed, bidding Izuku and Fuyumi goodnight.

Xxx

The two left the house in silence. Not altogether unusual, but as earlier Izuku could tell something was going on.

"Seems tonight is the night of sullen Todorokis." Startled from her internal musings, Fuyumi looked up in confusion.

"What?"

"Shoto had a lot on his mind earlier. All of you can be so quiet, well except for Natsuo." Fuyumi gave a rather un-ladylike snort at him and her face showed the irritation she had been struggling with.

"You're one to talk and I'm not that quiet." The conversation started, Izuku slowed his pace to let Fuyumi say her piece.

Instead she stopped him and began ruffling her hands through his hair. Feeling through the curls, she leaned down closer catching him off guard. Her gaze was sharp as she regarded his face, before abruptly pulling up his sleeves to see the deep purple bruises hidden beneath. Sucking air through her teeth, she jerked back up to Izuku's face her eyes narrowing. Izuku meanwhile had suddenly found the moon very interesting and was doing his best not to make eye contact.

"That's what has me so quiet Izuku. That and you lying to your mother like that. Oh and of course why you're lying." Fuyumi's eyes were alight, showing the Todoroki blood ran through her veins despite her usual peaceful nature.

Scratching the back of his head Izuku tried hard to avoid Fuyumi's gaze. Taking his arm back gingerly, he tried to come up with some way out of the conversation.

"It's no big deal. Just Endeavor being Endeavor you know?" Stepping ahead, Izuku hid his arm from her as he tried to worry out some of the soreness.

"And I didn't lie." He had tried to stay ahead of Fuyumi, but between her longer legs and already arriving at the estate she placed herself in front of him. Putting a finger underneath his chin, she forced him to look at her.

"It is a big deal Izuku. But I know you won't listen to me. You're so hard headed. But speaking of your mother, a lie of omission is still a lie." Letting his gaze connect with hers, Fuyumi could see the defiance in Izuku's eyes.

"My mother doesn't need to know my reasons. You **barely** know my reasons. She can't handle it. She still comes and checks on me in the middle of night. Like I'm just going to vanish while she's sleeping, dammit!"

He was getting emotional and he hung his head to hide those feelings. He hated getting emotional, a long hiss of frustration leaving his lips. His mind slipping back to The Pit and his inability to change the things he wanted to there too. But Fuyumi put both her hands on his shoulders, breaking him from his line of thinking.

"Language." Her rebuke was soft and only caused a wet chuckle from Izuku. But he kept quiet as Fuyumi continued.

"I'm sorry about your mother. But she's right to worry. You're not doing this for other people. You're looking for revenge." What was left unsaid was what would happen if Izuku accomplished his goals or what could happen along the way.

"That's my business. But …. I keep my promises Fuyumi. I'll come back home." When he looked up, eyes wet with barely contained emotions, Fuyumi all but scooped him up and smothered him.

 _*crunch*_

Like deer in headlights, both froze. Ever so slowly their heads creaked to the side. Standing there was Natsuo, a bag of chips in hand, and an eyebrow raised. Smirking through his snack, he watched as both turned progressively redder.

"Yeeeeaah sis, rob that cradle."

Fuyumi blew a gasket as steam poured out of her and Izuku wasn't much better. The two snapped away from one another. Natsuo for his part just continued to stand there and eat his late night snack. Grinning like a fool. Even as Fuyumi began her fumbled protests.

"Th-that's n-not it at all! I swear! I was just, I mean I was. Oooh shit!" Natsuo full on cackled at that. Even spitting out chips to keep from choking. His laughter was perhaps too loud though.

"BRATS! SHUT THE HELL UP!" Endeavor's demand was followed up by a flaming pillow of all things, slamming into the ground right next to Natsuo.

"Meep!" Both Todorokis went ramrod straight. Wide eyes turned with dread to their father's window. The man stood there scowling at the lot of them.

Izuku meanwhile just walked forward and stood there staring down the Pro. Endeavor's glare turned progressively more heated as the boy refused to budge. Izuku looked him dead on, not in challenge but in statement. He wouldn't back down, he knew he couldn't beat Endeavor and Endeavor knew it too. But it was enough. Just as Fuyumi was about to pull Izuku back, Endeavor's flames dimmed. A wicked grin split his face for a moment and he turned around with a parting shot.

"She could do worse I suppose."

Said parting shot floored the three at ground level, their jaws dropping. Izuku and Fuyumi becoming cherries at the remark. Natsuo was left to question his sanity, between that comment and what he could have sworn was snickering coming from behind the closing window. But gathering his wits he decided to press the situation.

"Well if that was a blessing, I know a nice hotel." That seemed to be more than enough for Izuku who beat a hasty retreat. Fuyumi drew upon her Todoroki blood for a second time that night and pounced on her younger brother.

"Nastuo!"

"Aah sis! Not the face, please not the face!"

Xxx

Five days came and went and Izuku was standing in front of U.A. eager to take the exam. Where Shoto had the benefit of a recommendation, Endeavor had made it quite clear that Izuku would have to enter like anybody else.

" _You're lucky that I was able to argue for you even entering in this way. What happened in Lotus was never released in detail to the public. But a number of the higher ups are aware of what went on. There are concerns as to whether or not you can control yourself. So prove them wrong. I've put way too much effort into you for you to fail."_

Scoffing to himself at the memory, Izuku made his way down the entry path. He paused for a moment as he got closer to take in the view. He was conflicted on what to feel about this place and what it represented. The idea of heroes was a concept he had serious trouble believing in. He'd seen humanity at their worst. Seen those that should have been its best, at their worst. Monsters that paraded as heroes in the sun were quick to unveil their true depravities in Lotus.

And yet, heroes _had_ saved him. After building up so much resentment and disgust for the title of hero in Lotus, it was hard for Izuku to come to terms with that. To even suggest in his own mind that true heroes could exist. Some small spark in the depths of his soul still desperately clung to the dream he'd had of being a hero. Of being like All Might. In his heart these feelings warred within him.

' _You're a monster. A murderer. That's the real reason you're here. Not to save anyone. Not to prove anything. But for a license to hunt and kill the people that hurt you. Heroes don't exist and even if they did, you could never be one.'_

' _NO! That's wrong! Yes I want revenge but I don't want to kill anyone. I don't like killing. I can save people. I do want to be better, to be more! I want to prove that I'm not just a monster.'_

Struggling with his internal monologue, Izuku was oblivious to the world around him. Allowing someone else to get closer than they might have otherwise. Spiky blond hair and red eyes looked him over in shock and something else.

"Deku? Deku is that you?" Finally noticing the presence nearby, Izuku's head snapped to the newcomer. Blinking his eyes in perplexion, it took a moment to connect memories from a lifetime ago to the young man standing in front of him.

"Kaachan?" Izuku was left stunned at what was standing in front of him.

The blonde he'd known had been so loud and boisterous. Nothing could ever stop him and nothing could keep him down. This Katsuki was subdued by Izuku's very presence. And then there were the scars. Seared onto each side of Katsuki's neck were angry red scars. Noticing his gaze, Katsuki adjusted his scarf and cleared his throat.

"Yeah, it's me. What are you doing here Deku?" With the soft almost concerned tone that came out of Katsuki's mouth, Izuku had gone from stunned to worried.

"I'm here to take the hero exam. What's going on Kaachan? When did you get so quiet?" That seemed to snap the other boy out of it.

"The fuck are you talking about? Dumbass you can't just go into the hero exam without a quirk. Are you trying to end up in traction?" Katsuki's reaction was far more what Izuku had been expecting initially. Letting a corner of his lips turn up he answered his childhood friend.

"I'll be fine. I appreciate the concern. But trust me they can't throw anything at me worse than what I've seen already." Raising one of his hands, Izuku let his chitinous like armor crawl over his index finger.

Katsuki was caught off guard for a moment before his eyes narrowed and he grit his teeth. His eyes dropped to the side and he refused to look at Izuku's hand. Glaring at the ground, his words carried something in them that Izuku couldn't quite grasp. Solemn with soft anger.

"So it's true then. When they found you, you ended up all over the news. They said that you'd been kidnapped by some kind of big criminal organization. That you'd been experimented on by them and –"

"I don't want to talk about it. Your turn. What happened to your neck?" Izuku cut off Katsuki to draw attention to the scars to the sides of the taller boy's throat.

Katsuki moved to rub the marked flesh. Scowling at Izuku, he gave his aggravated answer.

"Earlier in the year there was a villain attack. A sludge villain grabbed me and used my explosions to set a mall on fire. The heroes couldn't get to me to with all the fire. But I managed to pull a fast one and got my palms aiming at his face. The big bitch let go then, but I burned the shit out of my neck."

Of all the things that had occurred to Izuku, he wouldn't have guessed self-harm.

"I remember that. If I'm remembering right the villain managed to get away with all the chaos coming from the fire." Izuku pondered to himself with a finger to his chin. The words only seemed to irritate Katsuki though.

"Oh fuck you Deku! It's not my fault the mall went up in flames. I was the only one there that even managed to do shit for dick against that slimy fucker." Katsuki growled out.

Izuku made placating motions with his arms, already tired from the conversation. Talking with people was so draining for him. But Katsuki seemed as done with the conversation as he was and turned on heel to head for the exam hall. With the violence of the movement though he wasn't able to take his surroundings in properly. Which lead him to slam into a pink cheeked girl.

Watching on with a small degree of amusement, Izuku folded his arms. His social interaction allotment had been accrued for the day with his conversation with Katsuki. But he could take in the rather laughable exchange of Katsuki trying to disentangle himself from the girl, swearing all the way.

"Dammit all! Get off me, you fucking round faced chipmunk!"

"Eeep!" The girl managed to scramble backwards.

Getting to his feet Katsuki glared at the strange girl. Glancing to Izuku he noticed the raised brow and amused look he was being given. Giving Izuku the bird, Katsuki approached the rattled girl on the ground. Shoving out his hand, the girl flinched and shielded her face. But when nothing happened she moved her arms to peer at the boy.

"It's a hand moron. You take it so you can get up." The girl's cheeks puffed out in anger and she swatted at the hand.

Standing straight up, the girl got right in Katsuki's face.

"First off I'm not stupid. Second you're the one that walked into me! The least you can do is apologize! Oh and if you run into someone new you're supposed to introduce yourself, not insult them. CHA!" Eyes blazing, she wagged her finger right in his face.

Izuku eyes blinked in bewilderment at the scene in front of him as Katsuki got chewed out by this girl. Katsuki himself wasn't much better, until she started with the finger wagging. Then his entire face turned red. Whether in rage or embarrassment was open to interpretation but Izuku would keep his own guess to himself. With shaky movements and grit teeth Katsuki answered the girl that was now staring him down.

"My name is Bakugo Katsuki and I'm "sorry" you were too stupid to realize getting in my way would end with you getting hurt." The girl's face quailed for a moment before she reaffirmed herself and stood her ground.

"Well my name is Uraraka Ochaco and I'm not afraid of a delinquent like you." Sticking her tongue out, Uraraka walked around Katsuki and marched right into the exam hall.

Katsuki stood there processing what exactly what happened. Izuku meanwhile had taken his phone out to snap a picture of the moment. When Katsuki noticed his eyes narrowed.

"Deku?"

"Yes, Kaachan?" The ash blond proceeded to gift Izuku with a one fingered salute.

Izuku chuckled at the boy's attitude. It seemed like Katsuki was still Katsuki. It was probably just seeing him again after all this time. The blond was already headed up the steps. So Izuku followed his example and did his best to forget the thoughts that had been polluting his mind from earlier.

 **A/N: I hope that my readers enjoyed this chapter of Faith Lost in Blood. I hope I've conveyed the relationships that Izuku has with the Todorokis and his own mother. I wanted Endeavor to still be Endeavor, monumental asshole that he is, but still be human. Someone cognizant of his failings as a human being and as a father but, at least at this stage, in complete denial of them. Izuku has worked to help that a little by being completely unafraid of him and by being a reminder of how far a hero can fall. He forces Endeavor to confront the things he's done in the past. Because unlike his older children, Izuku is a legitimate symbol of his failure as a hero. One that Endeavor has to face because he wants something from him. So he can't just push past Izuku or ignore him if he doesn't like what Izuku has to say, like he does with Natsuo and Fuyumi.**

 **Next chapter is the entrance exam. We'll get to see some more familiar faces and finally feature Izuku's abilities outside of the major monsters that are currently growing like pikmin. I'm already over 500 words in so I hope you look forward to it.**

 **Side note: I went and saw the the My Hero Academia Movie: Tale of Two Heroes. It. Was. AWESOME! I really hope to see some fics in the future use it. If I can ever get there, then you better believe both this and To Repel and Attract will be going to I Island. In fact it will work so wonderfully with To Repel and Attract. Faith Lost in Blood not so much.**

 **NEXT TIME:**

 **The Little Den Unleashed!**


	3. Chapter 3

Faith Lost in Blood

 **Disclaimer: I do not own the rights to My Hero Academia or Evolve.**

Chapter 3: The Little Den Unleashed

Izuku rested his head on the desk in front of himself. His skull was pounding with an incessant headache. The written portion of the exam had been taxing. His tutors were the best the country had to offer, courtesy of Endeavor. But the fact remained that he had spent so many years without any education at all. He put his all into every bit of study he could, but he still had to catch up on a decade of schooling in just under three years.

 _'To top it off, Endeavor isn't going to accept anything being subpar. If I didn't ace those tests then I'm not hearing the end of it any time soon.'_

Izuku's thoughts crashed around his head and only served to exacerbate his headache. The pressure he'd felt to succeed had been unpleasant to say the least. The cool desk was wonderful against his aggrieved skull. Moaning he listened in on as Present Mic described the practical part of the exam. Destroying robots, by the sound of it. A voice popped up to his side and disturbed his wallowing though.

"Excuse me, but are you feeling well?" The voice was undeniably feminine and there was a level of serenity to it that was perhaps unusual in a teenager.

Allowing his head to roll to the side, he spotted the good samaritan. She was about as tall as he was, with vines for hair that fell below her waist, and dark forest green eyes. She was giving him a pitying look, one he was unsure on whether to accept or not. Groaning to himself he forced himself to answer.

"Head hurts." His taciturn answer seemed rude, even to himself as he heard it. But the girl took it all in stride, her face not betraying any offense.

"Oh dear. Do you need to see the nurse?" Izuku just groaned in the negative.

Continuing to lay there with his forehead touching the desk, Izuku did his best to listen to Present Mic's explanation of the exam. But a foreign touch set his more violent instincts into overdrive. A hand placed on the back of his neck called up so many bad memories. Being manhandled by those bigger than him before the arena. The collars that were placed around his and Goliath's necks to ensure their cooperation. And dozens, if not hundreds, of other rage inducing moments flittered through his brain.

Whipping his hand back, he grasped the wrist of the offender before twisting and forcing the arm down. The whole movement was done so quickly that no one even caught what had occurred. But a sharp gasp had him stalling in place. With wide eyes, and no small amount of shame, he stared at the girl who'd just asked about his wellbeing. Biting her lip she was trying not to cry out. But noticing his expression, she did her best to force a smile.

"I apologize if I startled you."

Loosening his grip, the girl moved her arm to a more comfortable position. The two were interrupted before anything more could be said though.

"Hey now listeners! Let's all try and keep it rated PG in here shall we?"

Looking up Izuku saw Present Mic looking his way. The attention drew the looks of much of the rest of their peers. Which garnered a great amount of laughter and some cat calls at the perceived act of affection. Izuku was quick to let go of the girl's hand. Suffering the ribbing from his peers in silence, Izuku's eyes caught something out of the corner of his eye. Present Mic currently had his arms behind his head, but the positioning was slightly off. His hands were located very closely to a switch on the support device that seemed to always be present around the Pro's neck.

Noticing Izuku's eyes, the Pro lowered his arms and moved the discussion along. But the damage had been done. Izuku's eyes drooped in disappointment and his head fell to the desk once more. Under his breath he muttered to himself.

"So they really are watching me like a rabid animal." His muttering wasn't quite as quiet as he thought though.

"Oh and why would they do that?" Caught up in his own sullen thoughts, Izuku had forgotten the girl to his side.

Embarrassed, Izuku forced himself to look to the girl.

"I'm sorry about grabbing your arm earlier. I overreacted." Izuku did his best to convey the level of shame he felt for his offense.

The girl took it all in stride though, her serene smile never leaving her face. Shaking her head she disregarded his apology.

"I should have asked. You looked to be in pain and I was hoping to help." The words only worked to further Izuku's shame, especially given the girl was so unfailingly polite.

"Thank you. I'm Midoriya Izuku. If there's any way I can make it up to you let me know." Izuku almost begged the girl.

Looking him over, her eyes seemed to take in more than what could be seen. Izuku could feel the critical gaze working over him. His discomfort grew as she scrutinized him, the feeling of being examined so closely making him feel self-conscious. It was only due to his own personal feeling of being indebted to the girl that kept him from looking away or asking her to stop. When she finally stopped weighing Izuku's character, she looked him in the eyes and smiled once more. The difference was that it was no longer serene and calming. Instead her smile was empathetic and consoling.

"My name is Shiozaki Ibara. You are another lost soul aren't you Midoriya? You question whether or not you deserve to be here. Just as I do. Perhaps we shall find out together." Izuku's eyes went round at the Shiozaki's introduction. But as he made to ask what she meant, the two were interrupted as Present Mic called out for a Plus Ultra from the students.

No one responded but the boisterous Pro wasn't fazed. Instead he continued on, instructing the examinees to head towards the buses designated for their own areas. Glancing down at his paperwork Izuku saw that he was in Site C. His attention drawn elsewhere for the moment, when Izuku turned back to Shiozaki she had already left. Spotting her on the steps, she noticed his searching and motioned for him to move along. Turning to grab up his things from the desk, by the time that Izuku had joined the procession Shiozaki had already been lost amongst the throng.

Xxx

The swarms of people had made for a trying experience. It tested Izuku's patience to be pushed and shoved by the masses. By the time he'd made it onto the bus he'd been rather drained. He thought that perhaps having access to the Todoroki's driver had spoiled him. Leaning his head back, he allowed his eyes to slide shut and block out as much of the excited atmosphere around him as he could. When they finally reached their destination Izuku waited for the sound of his fellows exiting to dim before forcing himself up and out of the bus.

Taking in his surroundings Izuku spotted an enormous gate leading to their testing area. After a moment of looking around though, Izuku failed to spy any sort of instructor or faculty. Deciding to warm up a bit, Izuku began to stretch and get his blood pumping a bit more. Taking off his jacket, Izuku stood in a pair of black track pants and a sleeveless hoodie. Halfway through his regiment, his peripheral vision caught onto something that had him swivel.

A vivid green to his right drew Izuku's attention, bringing Shiozaki into focus. Stopping his warm up he made it over to flora crowned female. Sidling up to her, Izuku found her in what appeared to be a moment of prayer.

"Shiozaki?" Izuku's tone was careful with a tired edge.

Blinking at the intrusion, Shiozaki was clearly not expecting anyone to approach her. Her eyes held the briefest flashes of irritation and Izuku was concerned she was going to tell him to get lost. But when she noticed who had interrupted her, Shiozaki's eyes calmed and the warmth from before filtered back.

"Midoriya, I thought perhaps you did not wish to speak with me anymore." The puzzled look on Izuku's face clarified something for Shiozaki as she explained.

"On the bus, you walked right past me without even looking at me. I thought that I may have upset you. I see now you weren't even aware." Izuku shook his head.

"No you didn't upset me. I'm just a little tired. This many people… I'm just not good with crowds." His current disposition explained, Shiozaki gave a sympathetic nod.

"It's alright. Sometimes I too am overwhelmed by the cacophony that mankind calls its essence." Raising a brow at the choice in vocabulary, Izuku simply let it go with a shake of his head.

His mind refocused, Izuku recalled what he'd wanted to ask earlier.

"Shiozaki? What did you mean when you asked if I was another lost soul?" Her eyes moved from the walls in front of them back to Izuku.

"Exactly that Midoriya. I can tell when I look in your eyes that you have seen things that have left you uncertain in your beliefs regarding this world. And done things that perhaps have left you questioning your place in it." Izuku's face went pale as a sheet.

"How, could you possibly know that? What do you know about any of that?" Shiozaki merely continued to smile at the boy and did her best to put him at ease.

"More than you would believe but less than you think. Do not worry, I do not know for certain what memories haunt you. Though I admit to having my suspicions. No I simply know the look I see in the mirror in the mornings." His concerns about his past pushed aside, Izuku was able to actually see the girl in front of him.

Her face was at peace and her body seemed relaxed but there was something else there. Something that struck a chord with him. Her eyes. A desire for companionship warred with a distrust for the world. He was stunned, what had this girl endured?

"Who are you Shiozaki?" Her smile widened the barest of smidges further.

"If you manage to join me in U.A. then ask me again and maybe I'll consider telling you Midoriya." Izuku was about to press the topic but was cut off by the sound of Present Mic screaming from a tower between the test sites.

The pros screeching distracted Izuku enough that when he turned back to Shiozaki she had rushed forwards with much of the rest of the crowd. Glancing back she spotted Midoriya and smiled. But whereas before her smiles had been warm, now this one held something else. A challenge, egging him on to catch up and get his answer from her at U.A., if he could.

It called to him, that small part of him that dreamed of being like All Might that had eventually bore fruit in the competitive streak Goliath had shown in the pit. That desire to be the greatest. It lit a fire in his blood, and he couldn't help but smile. He forced himself to keep it subtle though, to make himself seem friendlier and not let the urge to win morph into the battle lust that consumed him in The Pit.

 _'I won't let that get a hold of me, not anymore. I can be better than that. Better than a rabid dog.'_ He thought to himself just before flooding his power through his veins and leaping ahead to overtake his competition.

Xxx

It hadn't taken long at all for Izuku to find his first target. Allowing his chitinous exoskeleton to form up to his elbows and the muscles in his legs to prove their unnatural strength, he had bounded from building to building. Kicking off from one to reach another and then sinking his newly formed claws to steady himself for another leap.

With the speed he was travelling at he suspected he was the first to reach one of the faux villains. The three pointer below Izuku didn't seem to have noticed him yet and didn't appear to be moving with purpose. So he was fairly certain that no one else had made it this far yet. Which he was just fine with. The fewer witnesses the better.

From his higher vantage point, Izuku pounced. Allowing his living gauntlets to extend from the fingertips, Izuku manufactured a set of weapons to make Elm's Street fans proud. With a resounding crash, Izuku allowed the speed of his descent to combine with his own strength as he kicked down at the last moment.

The resulting force made his new blades almost pointless, as the robot's roof was caved in and its legs splayed out from under it. Whether to satiate the desire to use his newly made blades or to ensure his points, Izuku sliced into the mech and tore its internal workings to shreds. Now certain of his victory, Izuku moved swiftly from his location.

Izuku continued in this manner of prowling the upper floors and rooftops for his prey for the first half of the test. By the end of that first half he knew he had managed to accumulate at least forty points. A score he was fairly certain would allow him entry into U.A. but he wasn't taking any chances. Besides there was always Endeavor to consider. But it was towards the second half of the test that Izuku's tactics saw a change.

As he continued his leaping hunt across the testing zone, Izuku had spotted Shiozaki on several occasions. Each time a frown had marred his face. Rather than focusing on the villains, Izuku had noticed Shiozaki stepping in to defend other examinees from harm. Whether it be from the robot's rubber munitions, falling debris, or even the quirks of other inattentive examinees. Each time he could only look on in confusion.

 _'Shouldn't she be focused more on scoring points? She was the one that was telling me to succeed here. If she doesn't get in then what was the point of all that talk earlier?'_ As he witnessed Shiozaki defend a crow headed student from oncoming fire, his thoughts were answered by that snide little voice from his earlier mental dispute.

 _'She's being what you're only pretending to be. What you can only dream of being when you_ _aren't_ _tormented by nightmares spawned by your bloodshed. A hero. No expectations of a reward. No thanks needed. She's looking out for the wellbeing of others simply because she desires to.'_ Which was when the heavens seemed to present him with a choice.

As he watched Shiozaki from above, he spotted a quartet of two pointers in his peripheral vision. They were two blocks away and he had only managed to spot them as they passed an intersection with line of sight to his vantage point. They would make a significant deposit to his already strong wealth of points. But just as he spotted the juicy targets, a dilemma was laid before him. Behind Shiozaki, at the opposite end of the street, a three pointer came from around a corner.

Preoccupied as she was with the enemies before her and the wellbeing of the examinees that were facing them, Shiozaki hadn't noticed it. Which allowed the quadrupedal missile launcher to get a lock on the vine adorned girl without interference. This left Izuku in a jam. It wasn't as though it would kill her, none of the robots carried weapons that were explicitly fatal. But accidents could happen and every student was required to sign a waiver in order to enter. They were working to become heroes after all, the line of work they hoped to be employed in was by its nature dangerous. If they couldn't accept that from the outset then they had no place being here.

The missile wouldn't kill her though, they were designed to simulate flash grenades. They would strike near their target and then explode, deafening and blinding anyone too close. Enough to knock the unprepared out of the contest while they regained their bearings but unless you were sitting on it, there shouldn't be any injury. The question became, was **assuring** his place at U.A. worth **denying** Shiozaki hers?

His legs made the decision for him and he bolted towards Shiozaki and the oncoming missile behind her. As he dove from the building to his destination he whispered to himself.

"Hydra."

From the back of his hoodie several openings were revealed in the fabric, which gave way to a trio of serpentine shapes that sprouted from the boy. Plate like scales covered the heads of these serpents, going from the tips of their snouts to the back of their skulls. Down their sides were red stripes that stood against the black of the rest of their forms. They continued to grow until they hovered a meter above the boy, still tethered to the skin of Izuku's back.

No further direction was needed and the three beasts struck out at the missile. Stretching away from their master, they sunk their fangs into the projectile before twisting and returning to sender. Slamming into one of the three pointer's optical lenses, the missile discharged. The robot gave a shudder before cranking slowly to the ground, smoke rising from what was likely an electrical fire in its innards. Just to be sure though, Hydra was let loose to tear at it some more while Izuku turned to Shiozaki.

A number of his fellow competitors were looking at Izuku with mild trepidation. Inching away from him without trying to make it obvious. Others, like the crow headed boy seemed completely unperturbed, if not intrigued. But Izuku was used to spectators being scared of him or even impressed with him. He didn't have any connection to these people so he just blocked them out. No the only thing that mattered to him was what Shiozaki thought.

To his immense relief and a bit of curiosity, she stood there with an approving smile. It was almost disconcerting. The approval of others was something of an issue for him. His time in the pit had practically conditioned him for it. The approval of the crowd and of Hyde meant more food and occasionally other prizes. It wasn't until Serra that Izuku realized he'd become almost addicted to the feeling. After that he'd done all he could to avoid the sensation. By the time he'd come back to Japan it had taken some work to not actively cringe whenever his mother or the Todoroki's paid him a complement. His discomfort grew until he spoke up.

"Is there something that I c-can help you with Shiozaki?" Cursing his even brief stutter he watched as Shiozaki's smile grew even wider at the impediment.

"And here you were concerned about your place here." Initially puzzled, Izuku's face flushed when he realized her meaning. Whether from the implied praise or the embarrassment of anyone being so able to read him.

His Hydra returned to him in that moment having felt its master's unease. Its three heads wavered at his sides examining the source of Izuku's mood. The left most serpent gnawing on some piece of scrap metal. A fact that distracted and embarrassed Izuku and had him struggling to remove the piece of debris before it could be swallowed.

For her part Shiozaki seemed neither fearful nor disgusted by the beasts. She even moved to step closer to them but was reminded of their current circumstances as the sound of an explosion rang through the air. Heads swiveled as the examinees in the current street turned towards the sound and noticed a handful of their fellows, in an intersection several blocks down, surrounded by what was likely the remainder of the robots. Literally dozens of mechanical automatons, leaving Izuku to wonder if perhaps a malfunction had occurred or if one of the students had somehow provoked more than they could handle.

For the larger group of would be students with Izuku the situation presented a potential windfall and a sure spot in U.A.'s halls. There was a brief moment of hesitation from Izuku and the others with him as they eyed their competition and then with a collective roar they charged the faux villains en masse. Putting the jumble of feelings brought about by the previous moment to the back of his mind, Izuku moved to leap to and fro between the buildings once more. This time however he was aided by the Hydra, which effectively swung him forward in great pendulum motions with teeth like steel sinking into concrete before yanking Izuku ahead. He was joined in this bouncing mode of travel by a girl with long dark hair held back in a ponytail and large eyes. Beneath them other students made their way and a few let loose sporadic bouts of more long ranged based quirks.

When Izuku reached his prey he flung himself above the intersection and let Hydra loose amongst the villains. The serpents speared through a robot each issuing their demise. Combined with the three pointer he'd destroyed a moment ago this brought his total to forty-nine. He had no intention in stopping either, as he dropped to the ground and went to slice apart a two pointer. Unfortunately his efforts were denied as the mechanoid was wrapped by large thorny vines and crushed. Following the vines to their source of origin, Izuku found Shiozaki smiling as usual. Her eyes though, glinted with a level of satisfaction that left Izuku even more curious as to the girl's background. He was only capable of meeting her eyes for a moment before he was swept up in the surrounding mayhem.

Bodies and quirks flew through the air as robots fired at will with their various munitions or attempted to bat the U.A. hopefuls away. It was pure chaos and Izuku caught himself dodging friendly fire as much as he did the robots. But as the fighting continued and the potential targets dwindled in number the ground began to shake and the sounds of enormous motors at work filled the air. Above the students a shadow covered entire blocks of cityscape. The zero pointer had arrived.

Panic filled the veins of much of the group. Almost everyone began tearing away from the colossal treads as they casually reduced three story buildings to rubble. There was no cohesion or reason to the exodus as everyone chose a path they thought best to escape down. For Izuku however, he was fighting hard to suppress his desires. Zero points or not the titan before him represented a unique challenge. The urge to run wild and unleash the rest of his creations and strength against it was tantalizing. It would be a show of prowess that would awe anyone that witnessed it. Crimson spread like ink throughout his sclera as he felt his teeth sharpen and a grin grow.

As he positioned himself to move against the zero pointer though, a hand tapped hesitantly against his shoulder. Snapping his eyes in aggravation to the person in question, he caused the individual to step back in apprehension. It was the girl with the long dark hair from earlier. She seemed unsure now about interrupting him and it dawned on Izuku how he probably looked at the moment. Taking a deep breath he closed his eyes and worked to calm himself. Feeling a tug from the girl in question, Izuku allowed himself to be pulled away from the oncoming sound of destruction while he fought down his urges. To his side the girl in question spoke up.

"Are you alright? *ribbit*" The odd sound assisted in breaking Izuku from the fog of battle lust. Opening up his eyes he glanced at the girl as she continued to tug him farther away from the zero pointer. Moving up to stand beside her, Izuku answered her concern.

"I'm fine. Sorry. If I scared you." Cocking her head to the side her expression was oddly unreadable now.

"No it's ok. I just was worried. For a second there it looked like you were going to attack that giant robot." Izuku didn't reply to unasked question, which in itself answered the girl. After waiting for a moment the girl continued.

"That could have been really dangerous you know. It wouldn't be worth any points either. Why would you do something like that?" With the sound of grinding concrete and massive treads moving off to their left, the pair slowed down and turned to see the robot move away. Izuku let the silence hang between them for a moment, collecting his thoughts and choosing his wording carefully.

"It's just a side effect of my quirk. Sometimes if I get too worked up I get... overzealous. I'm ok now." Placing a finger to her chin in thought the girl seemed to be contemplating his words.

Which was precisely when the sound of a titanic explosion sounded far off in the distance. Both Izuku and his new companion fed into their instincts and readied themselves for fight or flight. After a moment of tense anticipation the two could neither see nor hear any further disruptions. Izuku chose to leap and claw his way up the side of a nearby building, his new acquaintance following behind.

When they looked out from the roof of the building the two could see zero pointers causing destruction in mayhem in the other exam zones. All except for one. In one particular instance the two could spot the now flaming wreckage of a zero pointer laying on its back. How it got that way was a mystery but it was obviously the source of the noise from a moment earlier.

"Woah, I hope no one was hurt. I wonder how that happened. *ribbit*" The girl beside him mused, stuck somewhere between awe and concern.

Izuku hummed idly in response. Try as he might though he simply couldn't discern what was going on over there. Shaking his head and giving it up as a waste of time, Izuku instead allowed his gaze to wander over his own exam zone in order to pick out some more targets. There wasn't much time left and he was confident in his score but Endeavor had drilled into him and Shoto too many times about leaving as little to chance as possible.

Unfortunately it looked as though the zero pointer had effectively scattered his competition, and as a consequence his prey, too effectively to make too much of a dent in his score. The girl to his side had followed his gaze and was idly worrying her hands.

"There aren't a whole lot of robots left. I hope I got enough points." Glancing at the girl for a moment, Izuku looked out again until he noticed an unattended group of robots. Not many, points wise they only totaled eight with a pair of two pointers, a ragged looking one pointer, and a trudging three pointer. Nodding in the direction of the robots he had spotted he spoke up.

"There's a small group over there. How many points do you have?" Blinking up at him she was silent for a moment as she worked out her answer.

"I think twenty nine, maybe. I'm not really sure. Too many people here aren't focusing on their surroundings. I've spent more time keeping people from being hurt, rather than destroying the robots." Izuku moved towards the roof's ledge and urged her to follow.

"I have fifty four. I'll help you get those eight points and we'll call it even." Leaping from the roof to the building across the street, Izuku's new compatriot followed behind.

"Why would you do that?" The girl's question was honestly one Izuku was asking himself. Endeavor would probably read him the riot act if he didn't place first in all this. So why was he risking his score?

"If you hadn't stopped me then I would have attacked that zero pointer." The girl seemed to be trying to decipher him after his response. Which lead to Izuku's less than amicable response, his daily allotment for social interaction having long since run past the point of being dry.

"What?" The almost growled response shook the girl from her musings.

"*ribbit* Sorry. But you know you could just say thank you. That would be enough for me. Though I do appreciate this. I'm Asui Tsuyu, call me Tsu." Izuku glanced behind him as the two continued leaping forwards.

"Thank you. Now let's hurry." Picking up the pace, Asui followed behind him in silence. It appeared she was fairly perceptive or perhaps she too was less prone to engaging in small talk.

Either way, Izuku took it as a small blessing and the two made their way to the location of the nearby robots. Hydra sat behind his shoulders maintaining "watch" for any closer opportunities that might cross their paths. Hydra was technically blind but between a heightened sense of smell and heat sensing pits it was quick to locate any potential prey in the vicinity. The pair of would be heroes weren't presented with any choicer opportunities though so they carried on to their destination.

Arriving at their destination, the two weren't given even a moment before the sound of Present Mic's voice announced that there was only a minute remaining. Tsu turned to Izuku with wide eyes, to which Izuku narrowed his at the robots beneath them. Without wasting another moment Izuku spoke up, his speech quick and clipped.

"I'm going to jump down behind them and rush through their line. Give me a sec to get their attention and then follow up." Not waiting for her to respond Izuku leapt down from the rooftop.

His first hurdle was the lumbering three pointer in back. One of the mech's legs was in a bad way and it made an awful screeching noise as it scraped along the pavement. Which is probably what lead it to be Izuku's first target. Falling from the rooftop Izuku motioned to the serpent denizen in his back. Hydra shot forth and, with some mental coaxing, refrained from outright destroying the three pointer. Instead it aimed for the dead limb and tore the offending leg clean off. The sudden loss of balance saw it collapsing and the resulting loud gong brought the attention of its fellows. Dropping on top of the newly downed three pointer Izuku stared down its three fellows. The two pointer duo and single one pointer locked their mechanical retinas on Izuku, whipping their respective weapons to bear. Leaping forwards Izuku had Hydra retract before calling for another of his creations.

"Nemean!" Bringing his forearm to bear a crimson and black mass of liquid expelled itself from his wrist and elbow.

Swirling together they rapidly expanded and congealed until they formed a rough shield like mass. It resembled a large demonic egg, black with red seams, it had a stony, rough texture and toothy protrusions that ran along its edge. Easily large enough for Izuku to hide behind, he let the munitions of the automatons rattle against the shield as he dashed into their midst. Charging the two pointers, Izuku slammed Nemean into the leg of one causing it to topple to the side on top of its fellow. The result was a tangled up mess with the two robots' efforts to get up only serving to tangle one another further. Meanwhile Tsu had followed down after Izuku.

Her tongue firing a distance that had Izuku lifting a brow, Tsu latched onto the three pointer's severed limb. Bringing it overhead, Tsu slammed her improvised flail crashing down onto the chassis of the three pointer. The force caved in the robot's roof and saw it still in defeat. Without missing a beat, Tsu hopped atop the downed foe and used her powerful legs to kick the robot limb straight into the downed two pointers. The resulting collision destroyed both of the jumbled robots. Allowing a hail of munitions to rattle off Nemean, Izuku kept the one pointer's attention maintaining a watch on his companion.

' _Resourceful. I wasn't sure how she'd go about fighting them. But I guess didn't give her enough credit.'_ Izuku accompanied his thoughts by rushing the one pointer in front of him.

Sticking low he aimed for the wheel at the robot's base. Catching Tsu's eyes with his own, Izuku flicked his gaze up to robot's head. Grasping his plan, the girl leapt at faux villain from behind. Crashing into the wheel, Izuku gritted his teeth and let his muscles flood with power. Its stability attacked in such a way, the robot began to fall forward which Tsu capitalized on. Her leap saw her land on the back of the robot's head, providing even further momentum for its descent into the pavement. Izuku dodged to the side and Tsu waited for the moment just before the robot kissed the asphalt. Kicking down with both her legs with all her might she sent the one pointer's head rocketing downward. The consequential force saw the robot's head explode upon impact.

Which worked out in Tsu's favor as Present Mic's voice called out from the central tower letting the contestants know their time was up. Panting, Tsu leant against the three pointer from earlier and tried to catch her breath as she looked over to Izuku. The boy had sat atop one of the newly created scrap heaps and was observing her as she caught her breath. His gaze was critical and Tsu began to feel self-conscious as she got her breathing under control. After a minute or two she was ready to go.

"You know, it's rude to stare at people like that." Tsu said, her words halting and cautious.

"Sorry." Izuku apologized. Getting down from his seat he started towards the exit. Not wanting to leave things on that note, Tsu followed after him.

"Midoriya thanks for helping me. I appreciate it." Izuku turned back to Tsu and gave her a nod of the head in acknowledgement.

"I was just repaying the favor. It's fine." Izuku responded before heading forwards to continue walking to the exit, Tsu keeping by his side.

"At the time I was worried you might hurt yourself Midoriya. Now I'm wondering if maybe you could have beaten the zero pointer." Tsu's musing caused a frown to come over Izuku's face and for a moment she wondered if she'd upset him.

"No, you stopping me was a good thing. You saved me from embarrassing myself." Izuku worried his lip as he answered. Tsu cocked her head in thought for a moment.

"Midoriya, are people scared of your quirk?" Izuku froze in place at Tsu's question.

Eyes shifting to the side, Izuku did his best to not look at Tsu. He didn't want to answer. He knew that he scared a great many people. But up until today it had all been people involved with those awful years. They and the heroes that knew didn't mean much to Izuku. The criminals that made him into what he was were monsters of the worst degree. As for the heroes, well Izuku had suffered, and seen others suffer, for too long to care too much for their opinions. But today had been different. He'd seen the fear in some of his competitors' eyes when they looked at him and Hydra. Like he wasn't human.

"Do you want to be friends?" Tsu's question broke Izuku from his internal musings and brought out something he hadn't done in a long while.

"Wh-w-what?" His stammered response brought a soft croak from Tsu. Placing a hand on his back the girl moved in circles in an effort to calm him down.

"Sorry, I'm told I can be blunt. You don't have to answer my question. But if it makes you feel any better, I'm not scared of you. But for a second after we left the zero pointer, you looked scared of yourself. I had a friend like that and she didn't have many friends. So do you want to be friends? *ribbit*" Tsu's explanation gave Izuku pause and he found himself more grateful than he'd be comfortable showing. Stepping forward away from Tsu, he raised his hood and hid his face inside as best he could.

"I'd like that Tsu." A small smile spread across Tsu's face at Izuku's response and the two left the exam site in a comfortable silence.

 **A/N: So I realize this is probably not the story that many people are looking to see updated. But honestly I wanted to put out something, anything at all, and this came to me more easily than a new chapter of To Repel and Attract. Hopefully I'll have the next chapter up for that sooner rather than later. But yeah I'm enjoying writing this one right now. Let me know what you think. Later!**


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